F Jamie Crooks (Saskatoon, Chilliwack/Victoria, 2008-13) signed a one-year contract with the Guildford Flames (England, UK Elite). Last season, he had 16 goals and nine assists in 28 games with the University of Alberta (Canada West, USports).

If you are here looking for coverage of the Summer Showcase, I’m sorry but . . .

It’s July, and soon to be August. The temperature in B.C.’s Interior is sizzling . . .

The Swift Current Broncos have acquired F Ethan O’Rourke, 19, and a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2020 bantam draft from the Everett Silvertips in exchange for D Sahvan Khaira, 20. . . . O’Rourke split last season between the Prince George Cougars and Everett, totalling six goals and 12 assists in 66 games. He was a third-round pick by the Cougars in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The 6-foot-4 Khaira has played four WHL seasons after being selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the ninth round of the 2013 bantam draft. In 77 games with Seattle over two seasons, he had one goal and six assists. . . . In 168 regular-season games with the Broncos, he totalled eight goals and 42 assists. . . . Last season, he had career bests in goals (6), assists (20) and points. He added two goals and five assists in 26 games as the Broncos won the WHL title. . . . Khaira’s older brother, Jujhar, played one season (2013-14) with Everett and now is with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . Sahvan has attended NHL camps with the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton. . . . The Broncos’ then-braintrust emptied the cupboard last season in building the championship team, so the acquisition of draft picks is important these days.

The Silvertips now have two 20-year-olds on their roster — Khaira and F Sean Richards. . . . F Spencer Gerth, 20, also had been on Everett’s roster but has chosen to leave the WHL and attend Trinity Western U in his hometown of Langley, B.C., and play for the Spartans. . . .

The Broncos still have six 20-year-olds on their roster — F Kaden Elder, F Andrew Fyten, F Kole Gable, Russian D Artyom Minulin, F Tanner Nagel and D Ryan Pouliot, who was claimed on waivers from the Kootenay Ice last week.

Meanwhile, the Broncos also announced that they have signed D Roope Pynnonen, who is from Finland and was one of their two selections in the CHL’s 2018 import draft. . . . Pynnonen, 17, had two assists in 16 games with HPK’s U-18 team last season. . . . Last week, the Broncos signed their other 2018 import draft selection, Finnish F Joona Kiviniemi. . . . Swift Current also has Minulin on its roster. Minulin, 20, would count as a two-spotter should he return.

The Prince Albert Raiders have signed Belarusian F Alexei Protas, their only selection in the CHL’s 2018 import draft. Protas, 17, and the Raiders other import, D Sergei Sapego, are from Vitebsk, Belarus. . . . Last season, Protas had nine goals and 11 assists in 48 games with the U-17 Team Belarus. . . . Sapego, who will turn 19 on Oct. 9, will be returning for a second WHL season, after being acquired from the Tri-City Americans early last season. He had two assists in three games with the Americans, then put up four goals and 13 assists in 41 games with the Raiders. Injuries limited his playing time with the Raiders, who obviously are hoping he is in for a healthy season. . . . Trevor Redden of paNOW.com has more right here.

Excited to be joining the @MJWARRIORS scouting staff for the upcoming season. I am thankful for this great opportunity as well as the support of my family and friends in the hockey community that made it possible.

As you can see by the above tweet, Zenon Herasymiuk now is working for the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . He had been with the Kootenay Ice, but they split in May.

Matt Summers is the new head coach of the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard. Summers, who is from Savage, Minn., played three seasons (2003-06) with the Blizzard. He spent last season in Bay City, Mich., as head coach of the Tri City Ice Hawks, who play in the Premier Division of the U.S. Premier Hockey League. . . . With the Blizzard, Summers takes over from Doug Hedley, who left after last season and now is the GM/head coach of the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings.

Darren Reid has joined the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder as an assistant coach. Reid, 35, played two-plus seasons (2001-04) with the Medicine Hat Tigers before going on to a pro career that included 21 games in the NHL and 259 in the AHL. . . . Before joining the Tigers, he played three seasons with the Thunder, helping them to the 2002 AJHL championship. . . . In Drayton Valley, he will work alongside GM/head coach Eric Thurston.

WHL schedule matrix for 2018-2019. Read across for home games, read down for away games. Division games are color-filled: Red-East, Yellow-Central, Blue-BC, Green-US.(Previous version was missing a colored square.) pic.twitter.com/oUFcxraTb6

Steve Ewen of Postmedia is reporting that that much-speculated about signing of Jamie Heward is soon to happen. . . . “The Vancouver Giants,” Ewen writes,“will announce the hiring of former NHL defenceman Jamie Heward as their assistant coach in the coming days, according to sources.” . . . Heward, a former WHL and NHL defenceman, is a native of Regina. He has been the director of player development and an assistant coach with the Swift Current Broncos for six seasons. . . . Ewen’s story is right here.

The Saskatoon Blades are expected to announce today (Monday) that they have added Brian Leavold to their scouting staff. Leavold, who lives in Port Coquitlam, B.C., had been a B.C. scout with the Swift Current Broncos. With the Broncos going through numerous front-office changes, Leavold and other scouts chose to leave the organization. . . . In Saskatoon, Leavold will be working with Dan Tencer, the Blades’ director of scouting.

The Pat Canadians would like to extend our sincere condolences to @rodpedersen and family in the passing of their loved one Jim Pedersen. Jim was a great man and touched many people in the hockey community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pedersen family.

Sad day in hockey world & family of Jim Pedersen. He was a long time scout with @DallasStars & had a big influence in @theSJHL & SK Midget AAA. In words of long-time NHL Exec Les Jackson; “Jim was a great man & had a tremendous influence on many young people with his work. #RIP

The AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder is looking for an assistant coach following the resignation of Derek Wiest. Instead of working on the coaching staff, Wiest will be the Thunder’s head scout for southern Alberta. The switch is effective Aug. 1. . . . In making the change, Wiest cited family and work considerations. He and his wife are expecting their third child, and he recently landed a full-time job close to home. . . . Eric Thurston is the Thunder’s general manager and head coach, and said the search for a replacement has started.

I fought in Jr. B, Jr. A & even at Dub camps. I look back on that stuff – and while I was wired that way & didn't think nothing of it – and I think it was pretty stupid. Particularly when there are 16 & 17yo's vs 20 & 21yo's in same league.

F Jaedon Descheneau (Kootenay, 2011-16) has been assigned on loan by Thurgau (Switzerland, NL B) to Davos (Switzerland, NL A) for the rest of this season. In 41 games, he had 18 goals and 32 assists for Thurgau, leading the team in assists and points. He was fifth in league scoring. . . . Thurgau lost Game 6 of the NL B quarterfinals 4-1 at home to Olten on Sunday. Descheneau led his team in scoring with nine points, including four goals. . . . Meanwhile, Davos leads a best-of-seven NL A quarterfinal series against Biel-Bienne, 1-0. Game 2 is today (Tuesday) in Davos.

A LITTLE OF THIS . . .

Stacey McAlpine, a former player agent who was charged of defrauding former NHL players Dany Heatley and Chris Phillips, died on March 5 in Winnipeg. As a result, the charge have been stayed. . . . A death notice in Saturday’s Winnipeg Free Press stated that McAlpine, 54, had “passed away peacefully in his sleep, at home.” . . . Kevin Rollason of the Free Press has more right here.

D Ondrej Vala of the Everett Silvertips has drawn a two-game suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct for a hit on F Zack Andrusiak of the host Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday night. Vala sat out Everett’s 2-0 loss in Portland on Sunday, and he will miss tonight’s game in Kennewick, Wash., against the Sri-City Americans. . . .

F Tanner Nagel of the Swift Current Broncos will begin to serve a TBD suspension by missing Wednesday’s game against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. Nagel was suspended under supplementary discipline for something that occurred during Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . .

As of Monday night, the WHL hadn’t set the length of the suspension to Moose Jaw F Barrett Sheen after he took a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Swift Current F Tyler Steenbergen on Saturday. . . . Sheen missed Sunday’s 5-3 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, and he isn’t likely to play tonight against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. . . . This is Sheen’s third suspension this season. He sat out five games after taking a headshot major and game misconduct in Medicine Hat on Jan. 27, then drew a two-game sentence for, according to the WHL website, “actions at conclusion of game at Regina on Feb. 18.”

Eric Thurston is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. . . . Thurston, 54, spent 1994-2011 on staff with the U of Alberta Golden Bears, the last four as head coach. He also has coached in the Hungarian National Ice Hockey Federation’s programs. This season, Thurston was coaching at OHA Edmonton. . . . As a player, Thurston played 206 games with the WHL’s Victoria Cougars (1981-84), then spent one season with the Golden Bears, before spending five seasons in Europe. . . . The Thunder didn’t make the playoffs this season, finishing 17-40-3. . . . Last week, general manager Joey Bouchard, head coach Ryan Rechner, Jason Nicholetts, the director of player development, and head scout Travis Gibson all resigned.